Litter basket



June 21, 1960 J. H. LOMAS 2,941,673

` LITTERBASKET Filed May 26. 1958 2.4 Lg K l INVENTOR .1. H. LOMAS BY v ATTORNEY the" United Se@ Patent' Of 2,941,673. LITTER BASKET James H. Lomas, Box 2144, Hereford, Tex.

Filed May 26, 195s, ser. No. 137,138

5 Claims. (Cl. 211-90) This invention relates to containers of various kinds including those used for the collection of objects such as discarded wrappings of various articles, disposable materials, bottles and the like.

The invention relates more particularly to a receptacle of a small size capable of being used in automobiles and other vehicles for the collection of discarded articles, bottles and the like and adapted to be detachably anchored or fastened in place for convenient use and later removal yfor emptying.

When travelling in4 automobiles, articles accumulate, some of which are desired to be kept and others are intended to be discarded including tissues both used and unused, wrappings, bottles including those in which soft drinks are retained and which become a nuisance and sometimes roll beneath the operating and control parts of the vehicle creating a hazard. In same areas it is prohibited by law and in most areas it is undesirable to litter the highway with those discarded articles.

It is an object of the invention to overcome the trash collection problem and to provide a collection receptacle which can be installed within the vehicle at the side beneath the dash and elsewhere for convenient use to improve tidiness and for the collection in a convenient location of discarded articles for later disposal.

Another object of the invention is to provide a receptacle of simple and inexpensive construction having means by which it may be readily secured and fastened in a readily accessible location and which can be easily removed for emptying and replaced.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent on the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective illustration on the application of the invention;

Fig. 2, a perspective taken from the opposite side of the device;

Fig. 3, a fragmentary detailed perspective of an automobile with the invention applied thereto; and

Fig. 4, a perspective of a modified form of the invention.

Briefly stated the invention comprises a collection receptacle and means for securing the same in an upright position, such receptacle having an upper trash collection compartment and compartments beneath the trash comp partment for articles such as bottles of the type which contain soft drinks. The device of the present invention may ybe of sheet material such as plastic, metal or the like, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or it may be fabricated of wire or rod stock as illustrated in Fig. 4.

With continued reference to the drawing the receptacle of the present invention comprises a relatively iat supporting portion or body of generally rectangular configuration and adapted to be secured in an upright position. This body may be of sheet material as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 and may have inclined upper corners 11 and 12 and an upper end portion 13.

The body 10 is adapted to be secured in au upright position by means of a pair of upper and lower brackets or sleeves 14 and 15 fastened in any desired manner to the rear face of body 10 and adapted to receive the upper and lower ends or tongues 16 and 17 of a securing bar 18 secured by'fasteners 19 to the side wall of an automobile as for example beneath the clash on the side opposite the drivers side of the vehicle.

In ord-er to apply the body 10 all that is necessary is to place the body in position so that the brackets 14 and 15 are located above the upwardly extending ends16 and 17 of the attaching bar 18 and then lowered into position until they are located around such ends.

On ythe front side of the body 10 are provided right, left, front and bottom walls 20, 21, 22 and 23 respectively. The side walls 20 and 21 are disposed at right angles on the body 10, the front wall 22 is attached to the side walls 20 and 21 and is parallel to the body 10 while the bottom wall 23 is inclined downwardly from the left to the right wall and connected to the lower edges of the side and front walls to complete the formation of an open top compartment for the collection of trash and the like.

Beneath this collection compartment are mounted, at different elevations, a pair of parallel inclined shelf forming walls 24 and 25 disposed in vertically spaced relation between the body 10 and a parallel vertical wall Z6 the upper end of which is connected to the bottom Wall 23 thus providing a pair of compartments, one above the other and each of a size to receive and retain therein by gravity a bottle or the like such as that employed for soft drinks. The bottle compartments are provided with an upright closure 27 at one end. thereof. The closure 27 may be integral with or attached to the wall 20.

Instead of a container of sheet material, the container may vbe made of wire or rod stock as disclosed in Fig. 4 and may include a 4body composed of a marginal bar or yframe 28 and a series of spaced rods or bars 29 in spaced parallel relation, the shape and arrangement of the compartments corresponding to that of the preceding figures. On the front side of the body are disposed a compartment for the collection of trash and a pair of inclined compartments one above the other, adapted to receive soft drink bottles or the like.

Securing bar 18 is attached to the back 28 as in the preceding figures so that the receptacle of' Fig. 4 is interchangeable with the receptacle of Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is illustrated in the drawing and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:

l. The combination of a mounting bar adapted to be fastened in a lixed position to receive and support a receptacle, the upper and lower ends of said mounting bar having upwardly disposed offset portions, a receptacle having spaced horizontal portions corresponding to the upwardly disposed portions of said mounting bar in a manner to be received over such upwardly disposed olfset portions and with one side of said receptacle being 4lawfetsd .Jima 21 1960.

partments are of `a size lto accommodate articles of a particular size. 1,790,977 4. The structure of claim 1 in which said receptacle 1,821,621 iseqnalposed of'sheetmaterial. 2,015,795 5. The structure vof claim 1 in which said receptacle 5 2,074,785 is omposed of Wire stock. 2,315,595 2,459,333 References Cited in the le of this. patent 2,584,646 UNITED STATES PATENTS r m 216431776 D. v122,011 Y Erickson Aug. 20, 1940 V1,105,835 Radley Aug. 4, 1914 533,341 700,759

1,240,908 Weis Sept. 25, 1917 Flanagan Feb. 12, 1929 Boer Feb. 3, 1931 Durand Sept. 1, 1931 Greene Oct. 1, 1935 Gentz Mar. 23, 1937 Cha-ppory Apr. 6, 1943 McKinley Jan. 18, 1949 Wagstai'l Feb. 5, 1952 Rubenstein June 23, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS Belgium Dec. 15, 1954 'Great Britain. Dec. 9, 1953 

